Sex Devils

Even in the highly scrutinized world of banknote printing deliberate mistakes and “hidden messages” can still sneak through. Two such examples of this are the Canadian Devil’s Head note and the Saychelles Sex note.

The Devil’s Head note was first produced in the early 50s when Queen Elizabeth assumed the throne. As a result Commonwealth notes had to be re-issued featuring the new monarch. When the new notes hit circulation it was discovered that the face of the devil was featured in the Queen’s hair. The cause for this has yet to be ascertained but it was promptly recalled and changed.

Another note to feature a “hidden message” is the 50 rupee from Saychelles. The note, which was printed in the early 1970s, features the word SEX in the palm trees behind the Queen. Again, the cause isn’t known but the mistake appears far to deliberate to be accidental. Once this was noticed the note was recalled.

Manen Oban

Minted between 1860 and 1862, Manen Oban were special coins that were designed to be given as gifts to nobles and government officials. Made primarily of gold with a quantity of silver (which increased over the years) Obans were originally minted in the late 16th century. Manen Obans were the last Obans minted.

This particular coin was once a part of the famed John Jay Pittman collection, arguably one of the finest collections ever assembled. Created by John Jay Pittman in the middle of the 20th century it cost Pittman around US$100,000 and was then sold in the 90s for over US$30 million.

Bugged

Bank robbery is one of the most prevalent and high-profile violent crimes. Although security measures are improving, leading to an overall reduction in the number of robberies, it still remains a very real threat and is not something that should be taken lightly.

One way banks are fighting back is through the use of tracking devises, slipped into the moneys stolen by robbers. While not one of the most paramount of security devices, this little transmitter can often help police track down criminals after they have left the bank.

This transmitter was housed inside a dummy wad of the old $50 banknotes. The stack of notes, which were printed correctly but not on proper note paper, have been hollowed out and had the device installed inside. Once a robbery was in progress the tellers would place this bundle in amongst the others.

Real Deal

Signatures of the fab four are arguably the most forged signatures of recent times. Given the high prices paid for items signed by John, Paul, George and Ringo it is easy to see why.

Despite the proliferation of fakes, some careful reading and an observant eye can help point you in the right direction when it comes to decided whether or not a signature is real. Signed Beatles memorabilia is appreciating greatly in value and these items are well worth obtaining as an investment, as well as for their pop culture significance, so it pays to be sure that what you are buying is the real deal.

A whole series of factors have to be taken into account when assessing the autograph’s authenticity, too many to go into here. However two of the primary factors to look at are the way John and Paul’s signatures are signed. As Paul was left handed his signature does not feature a natural slope to the right (like the writing of a right-handed person would) many Beatles forgeries were signed by the Beatles managers and secretaries and so this is one of the most common ways to tell real from fake. Regarding John’s signature, he rarely closed the ‘o’ in his first name, while the managers often did. While these two facts cannot be considered ‘set in stone’ they nevertheless provide a rough guideline to help you decide which autographs are real and which aren’t.

Toy Planes

Antique and vintage toy collecting is one of the fastest growing forms of collecting. Affording collectors a window into not only the aviation history of the world but into the way children used to play and what toys were available to them, compared to what is available today.

During the war years the output of toy planes increased as due to the conflict many people were now exposed to planes and had begun to take an interest in them.

From a collecting point of view it is always preferable to have vintage toys in their original box, which not only adds value but protects them from the rigours of play. However, this isn’t always possible and as such most of the planes on the market are out of boxes and show obvious signs of wear. Collectors then turn to rarity, country of origin and the type of plane in determining its value.

As well as commercially manufactured planes there are also several trench art planes on the collectable toy market. These planes were made by soldiers during the Second World War to take home as souvenirs and to pass the time.